Wednesday, July 21, 2010

As the spotlight beamed down on my face, I could hear the producer counting down. Ten seconds to Armageddon; my first encounter with Fox New's epitome of evil, Sean Hannity. As I sat there waiting for the big showdown, I asked myself,

"What's a militant, Afrocentric, radical dude, like me, doing in a place like this?"

It started off on a whim. I had watched Hannity and Colmes a few times and developed a strong dislike (OK, bitter hatred) for Sean Hannity before he even opened his mouth. (Something about that permanent smirk on his face makes me wanna slap him.) So, one morning in 2002, I called ABC radio and asked to speak with the producer of his talk show.

"Hold on," the receptionist said. "Too easy," I thought. "She must be new."

I was expecting to talk to an answering machine but, to my surprise, someone picked up the receiver!

Being a seasoned community activist, I new the drill. You get 10 good seconds to pitch a story idea before a snooty producer, who is up against a deadline, rudely cuts you off midstream and tells you to fax him your info at (212) 555 -"click..." So, before the producer guy could finish saying hello, I had already given him my entire bio.

"Good, no click, yet. Now for the story pitch..."

"I wanna tell Sean Hannity, that Jesus was black !"

After a second of awkward silence, the producer said that he liked the idea and would get back with me soon.

I told myself that I wouldn't hold my breath.

Two weeks later, the phone rang. It was a producer from the Hannity and Colmes tv show who had run across my info. She wanted me on the show that night.

"Let me check my schedule," I said, pausing to shadow box with the giant poster of Sean Hannity with scripto horns drawn on his head that hangs on my living room wall.

"Cool." Ready for prime time.

A few hours later, I was rollin' through the 'hood in an expensive town car with a white chauffeur, courtesy of Rupert Murdock on my way to some secret Fox News bat cave satellite studio.

As I got mic-ed up, the producer made small talk while he adjusted the audio.

"Say, someting in the microphone, please."

"Sure, Sean Hannity is a no good, son-of-a....."

"What?"

"Never mind..."

Then it was show time, just me, Sean, Alan Colmes and 10 million Conservatives who would soon learn hate my guts.

The show is pretty much the same every night. They do their classic good cop/bad cop routine. Alan Colmes asks you a few polite questions to butter you up and then ...BAM!!! Hear comes Hannity, the Hitman.

"You, know Pauuuul, he sneered in that arrogant, northern drawl that only a bigot could love, "it's racists like you...."

The show always goes pretty much according to script. Hannity hits you with a couple of patented conservative one liners. You make a quick rebuttal, then Colmes thanks you for coming on the show. The show generated so much controversy, Colmes wrote about it in his book "Red, White and Liberal."

I wasn't on Fox News again until January of 2006. I baited them with an email about "boycotting Black History Month because it was too white."

That morning, I got calls from most of Fox's shows, all wanting me to discuss the issue. At that point, I became Fox's big black boogeyman, appearing on the network 4 times that year.

It's no secret that Fox News has an agenda. They are there to ease white guilt and make Right Wing white folks feel that their bigotry and heightened sense of ethnic paranoia is justified. So, anytime some racist, Michael Richards/Don Imus type guy says something totally ignorant, they bring on a black "militant" so they can say...

"Look, ma..There are "black" racists, too !!!!

If they are not doing that, they are busy trying to play one black "leader" person against another.

I remember hearing a Fox producer quietly, sobbing in the background, when what he thought was going to be a knock down, drag out fight between an African American lady professor and myself over black history, turned out to be a respectful, enlightening conversation.

So, in 2006, any time there was an incident of white racism, anywhere on the planet. I could count on my cell phone ringing.

Now, I know that many of you are asking why, knowing the nature of Fox News, do people like myself even go on the network. After all, its kinda like walking around with a big "kick me" sign, on purpose.

To borrow from the controversial rapper Jadakiss, we do it because " we need air time."

Our hope is that between Cynical Sean's sneering and Wild Bill O'Reilly's "holier than though" finger pointing, maybe, just maybe, we can get one or two good punches in. Also, the appearances lead to other opportunities to clarify our positions that were distorted by the network. In my case, I would go on Alan Colmes' radio program, even interacting with callers, following the show which was a more principled discussion.

Sure, sometimes I felt like kicking myself for even doing the show. (I should have known it was a set up , when they sent a stretch limo with flashing party lights to pick me up for the last encounter.) But hey, they can't all be gems.

As an activist, I always ask myself if my seven and a half minutes of fame helped to raise the consciousness of the country. Did I put an issue before the public that would have otherwise gone unheard ?

Because at the end of the day, that's all that counts.

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

My first brush with racism occurred when I was five years old. I was playing with a little white girl at a beach in White Lake, NC when her grandmother motioned for her to get out of the water. "Sally" came back a few minutes later to inform me that she was not allowed to play with (insert "N word" here), as the old hag sat mean muggin' me under her beach umbrella. In retrospect, at least Granny was honest about her feelings, which is more than I can be say about the folks in Wake County.

There has been a big brouhaha brewing in Wake County over the last year. Seems like some folks (mostly white) are fighting for "community schools", while other folks (mostly black) are condemning it as an attempt at re-segregation. The conflict came to a boiling point last week when school board chairman, Ron Margiotta , made a statement about "animals let out of cages," allegedly referring to the anti-segregation protesters.

Of course, most of the good hearted Wake County citizens are saying that there is nothing racist about the anti-busing efforts, they are merely trying to protect the ecosystem by conserving gas. Also, even though Margiotta's statement is committed to the Youtube viral universe, what he really said was " the way those Tar Heels are playing is outrageous."

I'm not sure what ticks me off the most, the Wake County School Board's racial insensitivity or their attempts to insult my intelligence.

I'm sure that Margiotta and the rest of his homies on the school board know that "community schools" is the modern day PC translation of "no Blacks allowed."

Then again, I bet ol' Ron has never been dissed at the beach by an old lady while wearing swimming trunks decorated with dolphins and starfish.

Let's keep it real. For many of the community schools folks in Wake County, it's not really about Lil' Molly sitting next to Tyrone Jackson in homeroom but the idea of her bringing him home for cookies and milk; the age old fear of miscegenation. So, the whole argument is not really about education but the fear of contracting "colored cooties."

Desegregation of public schools has been a controversial issue in this country since the end of the Civil War.

According to Harold Cruse in his book, "Plural but Equal," during the 1880's there was an unsuccessful attempt to pass a bill by Senator Henry Blair that would have required the government to provide $77 million dollars to be spent "equally for the education of all children, without distinction of race or color, " making "separate but equal" a reality.

In 1954, the Supreme Court rendered its Brown vs the Board of Education decision that put in motion the process of integrating school systems across the United States.

It can be argued that if the Blair Bill would have passed, desegregation would not have even been necessary. However, during that period, some black folks believed that integration was some sort of magic elixir to cure all of the black community''s ills. As if, by some sort of telekinetic osmosis black kids would become smarter by simply being in the same classroom with white kids.

It must be noted that not all African Americans have favored integration. According to Dr. Noliwe Rooks in her book, "White Money, Black Power," in 1968, African Americans in the Ocean Hill-Brownsville section of Brooklyn attempted their own version of community control of schools courtesy of a $59,000 grant from the Ford foundation.

Also, black leaders such as Haki Madhubuti have long championed the cause of the creation of independent black educational institutions.

All of these efforts have one thing in common; better educational opportunities for black children.

It must be understood that even within an integrated school system, there still can be educational segregation in the classroom. As the late black psychologist, Dr. Bobby Wright wrote in his essay, "The Black Child: A Destination in Jeopardy," "even sitting in the same classroom, white children will be 'educated' and black children will be 'trained.' "

Many in the black community would have no problem with community schools if it meant that they would be funded, equally. Unfortunately, there is a well founded concern that the lion's share of the resources would go to the more affluent, predominately white schools.

As the controversy rages on, we must be careful not to give black children the false impression that the ultimate goal of desegregation is to earn the love and respect of the white parents of Wake County. It is about securing the necessary resources to insure that they obtain a first class education so they won't be treated as second class citizens; nothing more, nothing less.

Our ultimate goal must be to teach black children how to love and respect themselves and to instill in them the self confidence to know that their self worth does not have to be validated by white America.

No child should feel the way I did on that hot summer day back in 1972.

A boy and his beach ball, standing in the middle of a lake wondering what was wrong with him.

Courtesy of No Warning Shots Fired.com. For more information contact (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com"No Warning Shots Fired.com, bringing you the issues that the mainstream media are afraid to touch."

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Someday, a museum will be built in Washington DC to honor those who participated in the Black Power Movement. Of course, there will be a picture of Marcus Garvey and a bust of Malcolm X but holding center stage will be a giant statue of the person most responsible for the propagation of Black Nationalism in the 21st century, Glenn "X" Beck.

The media attention that Glenn Beck and the rest of the Right Wingers at Fox News have given Black Power advocates in recent weeks has done more to spread the tenets of Black Nationalism than any time in recent history.

Until recently, the image of black male machismo was limited to gangsta rappers who had run-ins with the law and athletes who signed multi million dollar contracts. However, last week's extensive coverage of New Black Panther Party chairman, Malik Zulu Shabazz, even eclipsed the camera time of basketball superstar, LeBron James. This has sparked a renewed interest in Black Nationalism.

There have always been two competing ideologies facing Africans in America; Integration-ism (Civil Rights Movement) and Black Nationalism, the former receiving the lion's share of attention from the media and in history books.

The roots of the rivalry between Black Nationalists and Civil Rights leaders can be traced back to the abolitionist movement of the 19th century involving Martin Delany and abolitionists such as Fredrick Douglas. According to Lerone Bennet in his book "Before the Mayflower," Douglas once said "I thank God for making me a man ,simply, but Delaney always thanks Him for making him a Black man." Delany also coined the phrase "Africa for the Africans" which was later adopted by Marcus Garvey,

In 1918, Garvey established his UNIA and ACL (Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League) in America. Also during this period, WEB Dubois and his friends in the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) opposed Garvey's Pan-African-ism. According to Dr. Tony Martin in his book, "Race First" Dubois once wrote in regards to Garvey, "he is either a lunatic or a traitor." This prompted Garvey to reply in third person, " Garvey has no such speculation about Dubois. He is positive that he is a traitor."

Perhaps, the two most popular icons of the dual ideologies were Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X. Their legacies have long divided the black community with one group siding with King's "beloved community" and the other subscribing to Malcolm X's ministry of separatism. This debate continues in the black community today.

Media pundants have always found themselves in precarious positions when covering Black Nationalists. Although, Mike Wallace's 1959 expose' on the Nation of Islam, "The Hate that Hate Produced" was intended to warn mainstream America about it's so-called "gospel of hate," it resulted in making Malcolm X a household name. Fifty years later, during the 2008 election, Fox News used Rev. Jeremiah Wright as the epitome of "black racism" even though most Americans outside of the black church and Chicago had barely heard of him.

So we see the Fox Network taking a calculated risk with the attack on Howard educated attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz; demonizing him but at the same time destroying the myth that Black Nationalists are a bunch of illiterate, uneducated street thugs.

It must be noted that it has never been the "militancy" of the Black Nationalist movement that has frightened the white staus quo but the Black Consciousness/Afrocentric Movement that it spawned.

Let's be real. There are still some historical facts that white folks in power don't want the masses of black people to know. So the idea that "militants" such as Wright and Shabazz may be sending out subliminal messages that are inaudible to the non-melanated ear that will make black folks turn off Tyler Perry's "House of Payne" and pick up black history books may have some merit. Contrary to popular belief, just because Bill O'Reilly and others may have learned to decipher Hip Hop lyrics does not mean that they have a total understanding of the Black experience. At most, the Right Wing knowledge of Afrocentricity is limited to talking points that come courtesy of the great Conservative "group think" which are repeated, ad nauseam.

So, the fear that giving Black Nationalists air time may infect moderate Civil Rights leaders with a severe case of radicalism and also produce a new generation of converts preaching a doctrine of black empowerment, may be realized in the very near future. Just because Black Nationalism is not a hit at lily white country clubs does not mean that it is not resonating well in barbershops in the 'hood.

Matter of fact, we can see the results already.

Recently, the otherwise mild mannered head of the NAACP, Ben Jealous sounded as if someone had spiked his latte with Red Bull during his recent convention speech when he called some members of the Tea Party racists.

Even in Hip Hop, Pittsburgh rapper Jasiri X is quickly becoming a viral Internet sensation with his YouTube Hip Hop version of Tim Wise's article, "What if the Tea Party was Black."

Also, there are movements forming such as the Militant Mind Militia that are arming the Black community with Afro-centric information to fight against the right wing racist propaganda.

So, although Glenn Beck has recently began promoting himself and the Right Wing as the rightful heirs of Martin Luther King's dream, in reality, he has more in common with Malcolm X in spreading the message of Black Nationalism. Who knows. maybe even black Republicans will get the message.

Don't be surprised if you turn on the TV one night and see Republican Party chairman, Michael Steele, sporting an Afro and dashiki, singing, "Say it loud. I'm Black and I'm proud!"

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

A few months ago, Tim Wise wrote a widely circulated article called, "Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black " which challenged America to take a close look at the hypocrisy of the Right Wing. Now, a Pittsburgh rapper is accepting his challenge in true Hip Hop form.

Jasiri X has released a video called "What if the Tea Party was Black." The Hip Hop artist says that he got the idea when Paradise,a member of the pro-black rap group X-Clan, forwarded him a copy of Wise's article.

"I saw the article and I liked the concept," says the rapper.

So Jasiri hit the studio with producer Cynik Lethal while Paradise grabbed his video camera and they went on their mission to defeat the Right Wing propaganda machine.

"For them it's all about power, perception and how they control the media," says the rapper. "We need to tell our story in the same way."

While some will consider his new video inflammatory, according to X, what he is doing through Hip Hop is not much different than what the pundits on Fox News do every night.

"Glenn Beck is rapping," says X. "He's just not rapping with a beat."

If you listen to the Tea Party apologists there is, absolutely, nothing (and I mean nothing) even remotely racist about the Tea Party ideology. Why, they're just the modern day version of the Dukes of Hazard, " just some good ole boys, never meaning no harm..."

Not so says the X-Man.

"I'm not an idiot, he says. "We see the signs at the rallies."

Like many black folks , Jasiri X feels that the major reason for the current climate of hate in this country is because there are those who just can't stand the idea of a black man in the White House.

"Why hasn't any other president's patriotism been questioned," he asks.

Also, Jasiri is not too thrilled about Glenn Beck's plan to hold a rally next month on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to commemorate the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King's March on Washington.

"Martin Luther King gave his life to produce an environment of peace, tolerance, understanding and unity, says X. " Glenn Beck's hateful rants are the exact opposite, causing hatred and outright racism. He should be ashamed of himself. "

What seems to tic the rapper off the most is the double standard between the way the activism of the Right Wing is perceived as opposed to the activism of African Americans.

"It's about power; I can make these declarations but you can't," says X.

Although Hip Hop was once called "the CNN of Black America," by political rapper, Chuck D, the silence surrounding the Tea Party and Right Wing racism has been deafening. So, why is a Hip Hop community that was so vocal during the last presidential election now afraid to tangle with the Tea Party ?

"You have a community that was so vocal for Obama...now that he is under attack, where are they, "asks X?

Immediately after the announcement of Barack Obama's election win, radio stations began to immediately adopt Jay Z's , "History" as Hip Hop's official victory song and Young Jeezy's, "My President," was played in heavy rotation. However, unlike the Hip Hop of old, rappers today seem afraid to speak truth to power.

"Who's gonna stand up, Drake, asks X ? " They are marketing him as the most the most uncontroversial rapper of all time!"

Not only have the commercially successful rappers been hesitant to address political issues, most have been silent on issues such as police brutality, including the recent controversy surrounding the "involuntary murder" conviction of Johannes Mehserle, the California police officer who shot and killed Oscar Grant. Jasiri X is not one of the silent majority.

"There is nothing 'involuntary' about a trained officer pulling out his gun and shooting an unarmed, defenseless man point blank in the back, "says X.

Although the Right Wing media moguls seem to have unlimited resources at their disposal, the Hip Hop activist says that social media can level the playing field. That is why he created "This Week With Jasiri X" on Youtube.com, where he does a Hip Hop version of the nightly news.

"Less people are getting their news from TV and are getting their news from alternative sources," says X.

"We are the vanguard of a new movement."

To contact Jasiri X call 412-404-2347 or jasirix@gmail.com

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 inf0@nowarngshotsfire.com

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Tonight, the NAACP passed a resolution against the Tea Party 's racism. Of course, the Tea Baggers ,vehemently, denied the accusation.

"Me a racist...forgetaboutit. I brought the first pair of Air Jordan sneakers when they came out and that first MC Hammer album was off the hook!"

As usual when it comes to the issue of race in America, we don't get the right answers because we don't ask the right questions.

Before you call out people for being racists, first you should ask them if racism still exists. Because if they say that racism ended when Lincoln gave his Emancipation Proclamation, or when Martin Luther King told America about his dream. Or when Hallie Berry won an Oscar for Monsters Ball... Then, of course the Tea Party can't be racists because racism no longer exists.

This country refuses to admit that black folks and white folks have different definitions of racism.

For black folks racism means white folks that deprive them from total equality, whether blatant or subtle. For white folks racism means wearing a white sheet in public and carrying around a Nazi swastika rubber stamp in one's pocket. So, unless you get caught with a can of gasoline and two pieces of ply wood in the form of a cross, then you are not racist...

Maybe, the NAACP should have used the word "white supremacist" instead of racist as one of the benefits of being a white supremacist is the power to define "racism."

So, the Tea Partier motto is "We ain't racist cause we say we ain't!. Now, get in the kitchen and fix me a fried chicken sandwich with a hunk of watermelon, boy!"

I'm not quote clear on what the resolution by the NAACP is supposed to accomplish. After all, they have never been known as the most militant group of people. Maybe if the New Black Panther Party passed a resolution at their convention...but the National Association for the Advancement of "Colored" People?

The Tea Baggers probably take the NAACP as seriously as Barney Fife guarding the mean streets of Mayberry with his bullet-less gun..

In North Carolina the resident racist Right Wing radio station, WRDU has made dissin' the state NAACP its raison d'etre and I have yet to see one bullhorn or protest sign in front of the station...

Now that the NAACP has passed the resolution, the obvious question is, "now what?" Are they going to sing "We Shall Over Come" or are they going to pump up the volume and rap "Fight the Power."

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Just caught a clip on Fox News of these dudes with their panties all in a bunch over the charges being dropped against the Philadelphia chapter of the New Black Panther Party for alleged voter intimidation during the last election.

Of course, Fox, with their over-the-top antics tried to link the Obama administration by saying that they allowed the New Black Panther Party endorsement to be posted on the Obama website, last election. What the haters conveniently left out is that "anyone" , even The Our Gang He-Man Woman Haters Club could have posted an endorsement on the site.

But why confuse the ultra intelligent, non biased Fox viewers with facts.According to news reports, two members of the New Black Panther Party were accused of standing at a Philly polling place in black military gear and one dude had a night stick.

To hear the Right wing media tell it , 100 black gangsta thugs with bullet proof vests, AK 47's and missile launchers stormed the polling place and then went on a drunken 40oz malt liquor binge across the city, raping and pillaging innocent town folks.

I am quite sure if there were any laws being broken, Philly's Finest would have been all on them like stink on a skunk

.I wonder why the New Black Panthers thought it was necessary to provide security at the polling place anyway?

Oh yeah, it might have had something to do with those yahoos that were threatening Obama at those Mccain/Palin campaign rallies

One of the talking heads went on to moan about how "dangerous" the group is. Funny, I've never heard of the New Black Panther Party ever doing as much as shooting a spit ball through a straw at anyone.

But I guess one man's standing on a street corner is another man''s "intimidation."And here in lies the rub....

Let's face it. Black men intimidate some white people even on their best days. I can be dressed to kill (excuse the pun) in a new suit and a shiny pair of Stacy Adams and I will still hear the electric car lock concerto as a walk through the parking lot at the grocery store.

Then again, I do live in a city where any black man not wearing a pink Polo shirt and polka dot golf shorts is considered a Blood or Crip.Also, there is the little constitutional matter of Freedom of Speech and the Right of Assembly.

Maybe in their infinite wisdom, members of the Justice Department didn't want to take a joy ride down that slippery slope.

Oh well, next time I go vote remind me to show up in my underwear waving a white flag singing "Everything is Beautiful" so there will be no misunderstanding.

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at (919)451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com (Originally written 5/09)

Paul Scott

Paul Scott

Paul Scott is a minister, writer, lecturer and activist. He has been a guest on talk shows around the world including Hannity and Colmes (Fox News), Fox News Live, Nachman (MSNBC), Hot 97 (NY), The Bev. Smith Show, Mancow Morning Show, Mike Medved Show, Russ Parr Morning Show, Mo in the Midday WVON (Chicago), Tom Pope Show (DC) Newstalk 1010 (Toronto) and SAfm (South Africa) discussing the issues of Rap,Race,Religion and Revolution. He has been interviewed by many newspapers including the New York Times, the USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor. Scott has lectured at universities across the country including West Virginia University, Clemson, Winston Salem State University and Illinois Wesleyan University. Scott was ordained a Baptist minister in 1998 he later went on to coin the phrase Afrikan Liberation Theology, which is "Black Liberation Theology for the 21st century." After forming the New Righteous Movement, Scott formed the Messianic Afrikan Nation in 2003. For more information contact (984) 377-2064 info@nowarningshotsfired.com or Twitter @NWSF